Cable TV to Computers

 

Cable TV

The leading cable and digital satellite TV service provider in Thailand is UBC. Some lucky residents in Thana City were able to rent apartments at Nouvelle Condominium with cable TV; others opted to get their own subscription. Installation will set you back by 15,000 baht; with a monthly rate of at least 768 baht for the Silver package (all local channels plus 10 more including UBC's own movie and sports channels) and about 1,500 baht for the Gold package which includes CNN, BBC, HBO, ESPN, MTV, Discovery and other favorites. Starting January 2002 the NC management is offering limited subscription at a special rate of 250 baht/month for a few channels (only four are English, including CNN).

Church

Currently there are four main English-speaking churches close by. These churches include Christ Church (Anglican), Evangelical Church of Bangkok, (non-denominational), Calvary Baptist Church, Southern Baptist, and International Christian Fellowship (a church service that takes place at ICS, but is not in any way affiliated with ICS except that several ICS staff members attend). Teachers who have made a commitment to learning the Thai language may decide to attend a Thai church.
If anybody's interested to join with Hope of Bangkok Church, they are always welcome. There are international fellowships and Thai evangelist church style!!! It is good for Christians who want to join with a warm friendly and energetic church and learn about Thai culture at the same time. -- Suda

Computer & Internet

You will have access to a computer and the Internet at school in your classroom, the library, and the two computer labs. Almost all homeroom teachers have computers in the classrooms. Most teachers choose also to have a computer at their home. Some bring laptops with them, while others purchase computers or laptops here. You may pay a little more here for a brand-name desktop or laptop than you would in the states. If you do bring a computer from the states, you may experience problems having it serviced here, should it be necessary. Everyone will tell you something different about this matter. One thing is certain - it is quite easy to buy a computer in Bangkok. Purchasing legal software is sometimes more difficult. It is much easier to purchase a $2 illegal copy of a software product than to locate a legal version.

There are a good number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Bangkok. The two biggest ISPs are Loxinfo and KSC Internet. Both offer several different packages for connecting to the Internet. In general, you will find that internet connections are more expensive, less stable and slower than in most regions of the United States. Instead of subscribing to one ISP, many people buy pre-paid packets or plans that cost around 10 baht ($.25) per hour. You can buy these in bookstores, computer shops, some convenience stores, and shopping malls.

There are also Internet cafes all over Bangkok, usually in shopping malls, and prices range from minimum of 15 baht per hour to 180 baht per hour in the touristy areas.